Tag Archives: new orleans saints

NFL

Smith, Darrin

Card: Classic 1993
Acquired: In Person 1993, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

Originally a product from “The U”, who played alongside future NFL stars Micheal Barrow and Jessie Armstead, Darrin Smith was an undersized, yet speedy linebacker with good pursuit. (The Cowboys loved drafting linebackers during the 90s, but they didn’t really display any interest in keeping them. See Godfrey Myles, Dixon Edwards, and Ken Norton.) Smith would start almost immediately at weakside linebacker for the team after being drafted in the 3rd round, helping Dallas win SuperBowls XXVIII and XXX.  He’d be cast out of Dallas unceremoniously after not being able to sign a long term deal in 1997.

Darrin would move to the rival Philadelphia Eagles for one nondescript season before heading over to Seattle where Smith would play admirably for two seasons before becoming a salary cap casualty.  But like a fine wine, Darrin Smith’s best time was arguably in his final years playing for the New Orleans Saints from 2000-2004 where after he retired. Since retiring from football Darrin has operated a real estate company and is a devoted Christian.

Thankfully Classic got rid of the leopard print look and went with a more subtle, polished granite look for the border of its cards by 1993. The draft logo was a nice touch that nobody was utilizing, but Classic in general at the time suffered from probably too little information being displayed on their cards. The information on the back had what team they were taken by in the draft. Why not place this information on the front in some respect?  I also did not like Classic’s penchant for changing its logo completely nearly every year. That’s just not how you drive brand visibility. Nice photos though, front and back typically, and this Darrin Smith one is a great example of that. Classic was really hit or miss with their cards as far as prospects went and while they were usually first, I preferred Star Pics almost immediately because I could buy a whole set at once and not pay an incredible amount.

G/Gs 156/140       Tac  584      Sac 24.0    Fum  3    Int 11   Yds 155    Avg  14.0   Td 4   Lg 41t

NFL, WLAF

Marrone, Doug


Card: Pro Set WLAF 1991
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Syracuse University
Sent: 3/21   Received: 4/8   (18 days)

Doug Marrone, (6’5″, 269,) was a powerful drive blocking center for the Syracuse Orangemen who was prized for his versatility at playing any position on the line. At Syracuse he was a 3 year starter at tackle and was named co-offensive player of the Cherry Bowl in 1985.

Doug would be drafted in the 6th round of the 1986 draft by the then Los Angeles Raiders but would end up on the roster of the Miami Dolphins by 1987 playing in 4 games that season. In 1989 Doug would sign with the New Orleans Saints and play in one game that year.


In 1991 the WLAF would come calling, and the London Monarchs would draft Marrone in the 3rd round of the positional draft, where at this point he had bulked up to 302. The offense of the Monarchs would roll up huge numbers, and it would be partially because of Doug’s performance now at center, as the team only allowed 10 sacks in 10 games. At the conclusion of the inaugural season Doug would be named to the All-World League first team and also win World Bowl I.   He’d return to the WLAF for 1992 but would be unseated for WLAF All world honors (by John Vitale, SA). After the numbers of the 1992 season failed to improve enough for the owners of the NFL, the league decided to reorganize.

Doug would hop into coaching coaching a variety of positions along the line starting at tight end with Cortland State in 1992. He’d then spend a season a piece at the United States Coast Guard Academy and Northeastern coaching offensive line. In 1995 Marrone would be hired to coach at Georgia Tech where he’d stay through 1999.  This was followed by 2 more stints at Georgia (2000) and Tennessee (2001). Doug would receive valuable pro coaching experience, heading over to coach the line for the New York Jets, and then landing the offensive coordinator position in New Orleans in 2006.  In 2008, Marrone would come full circle and was named head coach of his alma mater Syracuse. After a rough start in 2009, the Orangemen would rebound under his guidance finishing with an 8-5 record in 2010, and a victory in the Pinstripe  Bowl.

It is always a pleasure to get a former WLAFer back and Doug was a real class act, sending me his autograph in 18 days, in a Syracuse envelope, returning my SASE, and thanking me for remembering him and allowing him to catch up with where many of his former London Monarch teammates were at.

NFL

Millen, Hugh

Cards: GameDay 1992, ProSet 1991
Acquired: TTM 1992, Patriots Blitz, In Person 1993, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

Hugh was a veteran journeyman whose best years as a quarterback came playing for the New England Patriots for Dick MacPherson during the early 90s. Millen was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams out of Washington in the 3rd round of the 1986 draft. After breaking his ankle in training camp he became an unlucky casualty of the Jim Everett trade the next season. For the next two seasons, Millen would back up oft injured Chris Miller in Atlanta, starting 3 games and picking up some garbage time. Heading Plan B to New England in 1991 and 1992, he’d share time with Tom Hodson and Scott Zolak as starting quarterback of the team. His most notable game was when the team upset the Oilers on the weekend of ‘Babygate’ throwing to Greg McMurtry in the final minutes of the game. With the team’s collapse again in 1993, Millen would be traded to the Cowboys and the Patriots would select Drew Bledsoe.  He wouldn’t play in a game, but would sign my Game Day card in camp that season- as he would be released with the signing of Bernie Kosar. With Aikman, Kosar, and Jason Garrett, Hugh was once again expendable and would sign with the Dolphins. In 1994, Hugh would sign with the Denver Broncos where he’d finish out his career over the next two seasons backing up John Elway. For the 1996 season he’d sign with the New Orleans Saints but would not make the roster of the team and retire. He currently lives in Washington.

GameDay really had a nice card set when they came out in 1992. Its unique design coupled with innovative Photoshop masks to desaturate the background,  leave the players firmly in the focus of the image. Well tracked type, does not cloud the picture plane and helps activate the white space outside of the image area. When I got signatures on GameDay cards it was because most of them had a certain “whoa” factor that really caught my eye.

G/Gs  40/25      Att 928     Comp 560     Yds 6440    Pct 60.3      Td 22    Int 35     Rat  73.5